Soldier Turned Academic Explains why War with Russia was Inevitable

A Ukrainian academic turned soldier turned academic has held on tightly to his conviction that no matter what is happening in international affairs, war with Russia is inevitable.

And thus we have another drastic explanation, clarification or justification why more than a decade ago I selected as the name for my blog “The Torn Curtain 1991.”

Yes, 35 years ago, the Ukrainian nation declared its independence and sovereignty from the Russian empire after centuries of subjugation. History has taught us that in the course of those centuries every flash of Ukrainian independence and the germination of a Ukrainian state in one fell swoop Russia – tsarist, communist or putinist – destroyed it. And for the most part, until now, Moscow was at least temporarily successful. In the 20^th century alone, Ukrainians several times established and reestablished their national statehood only to be vanquished each time by Russia with the naïve aid of Western allies.

On November 9, 1989, the infamous Berlin Wall, the ultimate barrier between Russia and the free nations, between evil and good, was destroyed by the people, and the captive nations cheered their new found freedoms. The Iron Curtain was torn down and trampled on.

However, was that the end of the division and oppression? Fortunately, for some, especially those who were destined for membership in NATO, their path to freedom and independence had triumphantly concluded and the western powerhouses assured it.

In the past, Ukraine – independent or not – was left out in the cold, only to be re-subjugated by Moscow. With Russian aggressive desires not slaked, Ukraine was bound to become enslaved again. Those attempts resumed 14 years ago in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea and then four years ago across the country. Thus, for Ukraine, the Iron Curtain was not destroyed; it was merely torn, leaving gaps for Russia soldiers, tanks and artillery to invade Ukraine again.

Ihor “Batko” Zhaloba, who enlisted to fight against the Russian invaders in 2014, foresaw the inevitability of war with Russia but apparently no one was able to prevent it. He explained that Russia’s historical path was preordained for war and Ukraine has been its primary target.

In a recent article by Julia Struck-Feshchenko in the Kyiv Post, Zhaloba, explained that when Russia launched its full-scale invasion 2022, he did not hesitate to enlist. He volunteered to defend Ukraine and served until he was demobilized at the age of 60.

Zhaloba spent decades studying Russian history before volunteering to fight it. His verdict: Europe remains dangerously unprepared, and Ukraine is the continent’s last line of defense.

Ihor Zhaloba – known by the callsign “Batko” (Father) – is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of History of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Ukraine of the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He is also a teaching professor in the Department of International Relations at Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University and president of the Ukrainian branch of the Pan-European Movement.

Today, he has returned to academic life at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, while continuing to lecture across Europe, raise awareness about the war, support Ukraine through volunteer work, and honor fallen comrades.

He also serves as president of the Ukrainian branch of the Pan-European Movement – a political and cultural initiative founded in 1922 to promote European unity in response to nationalism and conflict.

A professor of history and its in-depth student, Zhaloba enunciated that another Russian war against Ukraine was unavoidable. “My professional background led me to conclude that war was inevitable,” he said. “For me, it was only a matter of time before these two antagonistic models – Ukrainian and Russian – would collide.”

“I had studied Russian history for many years. As a historian, I understood the mentality and way of life of that country. The principle ‘we will not stand at any cost – we need victory’ can be consistently traced throughout the history of the Muscovite state and, later, Russia,” he said.

“This is the mode of existence of that state: it must expand its borders. In peacetime, it has nothing to sustain itself with. They have not even built proper sanitation infrastructure to this day, and struggle to organize their internal life. Therefore, Russians go elsewhere to seize what they are incapable of creating themselves.”

Until February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its latest invasion of Ukraine, Zhaloba said a large number of Ukrainians did not fully realize that Ukrainians had already been at war since 2014. “Back then, it felt distant to many of us – just as it still feels distant for many Europeans today,” he said.

“In December 2021, I told my students – whom I taught in the course ‘Civilizational Dimension of Modern International Relations’ – that there would be a major war with Russia.” Later, his students told him: “Ihor Volodymyrovych, back then we didn’t believe you.”

“This is the mode of existence of that state: it must expand its borders. In peacetime, it has nothing to sustain itself with. They have not even built proper sanitation infrastructure to this day, and struggle to organize their internal life. Therefore, Russians go elsewhere to seize what they are incapable of creating themselves.

“I also recalled the Russian philosopher Vasily Rozanov, who once said: ‘Why would you need freedom? Freedom is necessary for substance, so that it can develop – but what kind of freedom, and to what end, is it for something without substance? And Russian society, after all, has no substance.’ In that sense, they do not need freedom, because there is nothing to develop – Russian society is empty.”

While Russia was also facing its own internal struggles, he said Ukrainian society, meanwhile, has managed to overcome economic and political challenges. Since 2001, Ukrainians have ensured economic growth while preserving their freedom – and they value it, because it allows their “substance” to develop.

“This represents an existential threat to the Russian model, in which Ukrainians have always been perceived as ‘younger brothers,’ incapable of independent existence and supposedly needing the ‘guiding hand’ of big brother Russia,” he elaborated.

Since the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, he continued, there were expectations in Russia that Ukraine would collapse and return “on its knees” in exchange for cheap gas, timber, and other resources. “These expectations were never fulfilled,” he pointed out.

For him, Russia is the last colonial empire. “History shows that all colonial empires eventually collapse, and Russia should be no exception. However, it is not a classic colonial empire like the Roman or British empires,” he added.

Zhaloba elaborated that Russia would need to be an external shock – some form of defeat – that triggers internal instability. For example, Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 led to the revolution of 1905-1907. Similarly, the strain of World War I triggered the February Revolution, followed by the October Revolution in 1917.

“However, even if Russia begins to fragment, Ukraine would still have to continue fighting and maintain forces to stabilize its borders,” he said.

Why is the West so afraid of Russia’s collapse? Replying to his question, because it would likely be chaotic, uncontrolled, and extremely violent – especially given the presence of nuclear weapons. Many oppressed peoples within Russia could seek revenge against those who dominated them. The consequences would be brutal and destabilizing, affecting not only the region but the wider world.

His optimism and dedication are fed by his being a teacher and love of working with his students. “For 30 years, I have been telling them: ‘Take responsibility – your future, your life, your country are in your hands.’ So what then – should I have left and gone abroad? For me, my students are like my children. Who, then, was supposed to stand up for them?”

It’s teachers, historians and soldiers like Ihor Zhaloba who imbue current and future generations of Ukrainians with an indelible sense of patriotism.This is why President Zelenskyy is demanding strict, permanent security guarantees for his country and nation. If President Trump and the West don’t want to face another case of Russian inevitability then it behooves them to accept Kyiv’s insistence of strict security guarantees.